PRINT ENGINE FOR COLOR DIGITAL INKJET PRESS

• US 20190092022A1
• Filed: 09/25/2018
• Published: 03/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Inventors: Profaca, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 10,457,075 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0045 Guides for printing material curl smoothing B41J11/0005; platens B41J11/02, B41J11/06; guiding webs B41J15/046
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/155 for line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/165 Preventing or detecting of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16505 Caps, spittoons or covers for cleaning or preventing drying out
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16535 using wiping constructions B41J2/16552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17523 Ink connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/16582 Maintenance means fixed on the print head or its carriage
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 25/304 Bodily-movable mechanisms for print heads or carriages movable towards or from paper surface
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/02 Framework

Abstract

A print engine includes: a media support chassis having a plurality of guide rollers mounted between opposite sidewalls thereof, the plurality of guide rollers defining a media feed path; a maintenance chassis pivotally mounted on the media support chassis, the maintenance chassis including a plurality of maintenance modules fixedly mounted thereto and aligned along the media feed path; and a print bar chassis movably mounted on the maintenance chassis, the print bar chassis including a plurality of print modules, each print module having a printhead; a pivot actuation mechanism for pivoting the maintenance chassis between an open and closed position; and a lift mechanism for raising and lowering the print bar chassis relative to the maintenance chassis between a maintenance position a printing position.

Claims

1. A print engine comprising:

a media support chassis having a plurality of guide rollers mounted between opposite sidewalls thereof, the plurality of guide rollers defining a media feed path;

a maintenance chassis pivotally mounted on the media support chassis, the maintenance chassis comprising a plurality of maintenance modules fixedly mounted thereto and aligned along the media feed path;

a print bar chassis movably mounted on the maintenance chassis, the print bar chassis comprising a plurality of print modules, each print module having a printhead;

a pivot actuation mechanism for pivoting the maintenance chassis between an open and closed position; and

a lift mechanism for raising and lowering the print bar chassis relative to the maintenance chassis between a maintenance position a printing position.

2. The print engine of claim 1, wherein the media feed path is curved and a lower surface of the maintenance chassis follows a curvature of the media feed path.

3. The print engine of claim 1, wherein the media support chassis comprises a plurality of spittoons, each spittoon being positioned between a neighboring pair of guide rollers and wherein the printheads each oppose a respective spittoon.

4. The print engine of claim 3, wherein each spittoon has an upper guide portion at least partially intersecting a common tangential plane defined between a neighboring pair of guide rollers, such that print media fed along the curved media path contact the guide rollers and upper guide portions of the spittoons.

5. The print engine of claim 1, wherein each printhead extends and retracts through a space defined by a corresponding maintenance module in the printing and maintenance positions, respectively.

6. The print engine of claim 5, wherein each maintenance module extends alongside only one longitudinal side of a respective printhead.

7. The print engine of claim 5, wherein each maintenance module has a generally L-shaped frame, wherein a longer leg of the frame houses a capper and a shorter leg of the frame houses a wiper.

8. The print engine of claim 1, wherein the maintenance chassis is mounted asymmetrically on the media support chassis.

9. The print engine of claim 1, wherein the maintenance chassis is pivotally mounted about a pivot shaft extending perpendicularly with respect to a media feed direction.

10. The print engine of claim 9, wherein the pivot shaft is positioned at one end of the print engine and a pivot actuation mechanism is engaged between the media support chassis and the maintenance chassis at an opposite end of the print engine.